


Unexpected

by acercrea



Series: Immortality is a Bitch [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec is not really coping well, Catarina gives him advice, Immortality is not all it is cracked up to be, M/M, Magnus is dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 09:52:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10896858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acercrea/pseuds/acercrea
Summary: Magnus is dead, and Alec is having trouble accepting it. Catarina does her best to make him realize he can't spend the rest of his life in bed crying.





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is a continuation of What Happens, but can be read on its own if you want.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Shadowhunters or anything you recognize, and Sonnet 71 is by Shakespeare. I am not making any money from this.

 

The apartment was too quiet. Normally, by this time Magnus would be up and done with his second cup of coffee, humming under his breath while he grabbed this potion ingredient or that magical item for fortifying the wards. Alec hadn’t really noticed, but Magnus was always making noise of some sort. He even talked in his sleep occasionally.

Which made the lack of noise now more striking. The apartment felt huge and hollow without Magnus, the silence almost deafening. People had been knocking on the door off and on for a day and a half but Alec didn’t have the heart to get out of bed to answer it and eventually they all left. His phone rang occasionally too, but he left that in the living room, so that had also gone unanswered.

Every time he thought the tears had finally run their course he would catch a whiff of Magnus’ cologne or see the jacket he had discarded before they left that last night in favor of another and he would lose it again.

Which is why he was mildly concerned when he heard a cabinet in the kitchen open and close and the water in the fridge door running. Just not concerned enough to get up and see who it was that had somehow gotten inside, he figured that if they meant him harm they wouldn’t have gotten past the wards. And he knew it wasn’t the one person he wanted it to be.

“Your family is worried sick about you,” the intruder remarked as she came into the bedroom with his phone and a glass of water, handing the glass to him.

“I should have known it was you. I knew no one else had a key, but I forgot about portals. I am not thirsty, Catarina,” Alec told her glumly.

“I don’t care, you have been crying for too long to not need to rehydrate. Drink of your own free will or I will use magic to make you. Either way you are drinking this,” Catarina ordered, holding the glass in front of him.

“Remember when you hated me? Those were the good days,” Alec grumbled, reluctantly sitting up and grabbing the glass, gulping it down quickly hoping she would leave the room.

“Yeah, but you had to be all cute and adorable and marry my best friend, so that all went out the window. And even if I still hated you, I would do this for him. He would want you to take care of yourself and would get mad at me if I let you cry yourself to death. How are you doing Alec?” she asked, taking the empty glass and putting it on the bedside table, handing him his phone.

“I don’t know really. Not well. We, um. We never discussed this scenario. We always talked about what would happen to Magnus when I died. I never prepared myself for him not being here. I keep thinking over and over that he isn’t here and I can’t make my brain understand it. I miss him,” Alec confessed, tears filling up his eyes.

“I’m having trouble believing it myself. First Ragnor, then Magnus, both within 15 years. It seems like just yesterday that Magnus was telling me that Ragnor had been killed. Being immortal just doesn’t seem to mean what it used to,” Catarina replied, smiling despite the fact that her eyes were also teary.

“Anyway,” she continued a moment later, hastily wiping her eyes, “it is time for you to get out of this bed and take a shower, it will make you feel better. Isabelle is on her way over with breakfast, there is a lot we need to arrange for Magnus, and Izzy and I are done with what we can do without you. Don’t give me that look, remember I have no reservations about snapping my fingers and forcing you into the shower,” Catarina reminded him.

Alec reluctantly dragged himself out of bed with a grumble, shuffling to the master bath.

“Catarina?” he questioned as he paused in the door, continuing when the warlock turned back to him. “Have you ever lost someone? Magnus never mentioned, and it felt rude to pry.”

“Yes, I have. Rather recently, actually,” she responded.

“Does it ever hurt less?” Alec asked.

“Yes and no. It will always hurt and at first it will be all you can do to put one foot in front of the other and carry on with your life the way you are supposed to. But eventually it will be something you are used to, the pain will always be part of you, but it will dull with time until it is not quite so all consuming, it will merely be something you are living with. And eventually putting one foot in front of the other is not a chore any more. You might never feel a love like that again, but that is ok, and it doesn’t mean there won’t be love in your life. It just means it will be different. Now, quit stalling and get in the shower. I will let your sister in,” Catarina promised.

Alec lost track of time, letting the warm water flow over his body, and when he emerged he felt more like himself that he had since that horrible moment. There were things that needed to be done and Magnus wouldn’t want him to feel this much pain.

“But what if he doesn’t like it? It isn’t like any mourning ceremony the Shadowhunters have. I agree that a party is more Magnus’ style but he might want something more dignified,” Izzy fretted as Alec came into the living room, dressed but still rubbing his hair with a towel that was draped over his shoulders.

“No, I love it. We are celebrating Magnus’ life and a party is more fitting than a wake, but there should be an ashes ceremony. Why don’t you let me know what you have come up with so far and we will go from there,” Alec requested, sitting at the table and opening the untouched take out container there.

 

 

**

 

 

“I think he would approve, big brother,” Izzy commented as she looked around the field that Alec and Magnus had gone to so long ago.

“I think you are right. We should start before I lose my nerve,” Alec acknowledged with a deep breath, stepping to the podium Catarina had crafted with magic.

“May I have your attention? We are ready to begin if you will please take your seats,” Alec requested.

Once everyone was seated and quiet, he continued, “Thank you all for coming here today. It is a bit off the beaten path, and I especially thank everyone who set up portals to help others get here today. I look out at all of you gathered today and it makes me so happy that Magnus was able to touch so many people he came in contact with. I never thought I would be standing up here, addressing you like this, after all the mortal is not supposed to be the one who outlives the immortal.

“This will be short, he wouldn’t want some long drawn out ceremony, after all, and we are celebrating him. Several years ago, in this field in France, Magnus told me the story of the first mortal he had ever loved. I am not great with words as many of you know, so the story of Magnus’ past had left me at a loss for words. Several days later, I came home to find a book of Sonnets on the table, and one was marked that perfectly summed up what I was feeling. Magnus was supposed to read it at my funeral, but since he is not going to have that opportunity, I am going to take the liberty and read it for you now.

 

“No longer mourn for me when I am dead

Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell

Give warning to the world that I am fled

From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell;

 

Nay, if you read this line, remember not

The hand that writ it; for I love you so,

That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot,

If thinking on me then should make you woe.

 

O, if (I say) you look upon this verse,

When I (perhaps) compounded am with clay,

Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,

But let your love even with my life decay,

 

Lest the wise world should look into your moan,

And mock you with me after I am gone.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you liked it. Leave a Kudos or a comment if you liked it, they mean a lot to me and I respond to every comment. Check me out on Tumblr @acercrea. Thanks for reading!


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